Today in History:

420 Series I Volume XXXVIII-III Serial 74 - The Atlanta Campaign Part III

Page 420 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.

ville, a distance of eighty-five miles; from thence it moved by rail to foot of Lookout Mountain, at the mouth of Chattanooga Creek; from thence marched, via Rossville and Mattox Gap and Snake Creek Gap, to Resaca, where it arrived about 10 a. m. May 9, and took part in the demonstration against the enemy intrenched there, by throwing the Sixty-sixth Regiment Indiana Infantry forward to the extreme right of the line as skirmishers, the Seventh Iowa Infantry in support. The Fifty-second Illinois Infantry was left to guard the battery, which was not brought into action, but left on the road at the south end of Snake Creek Gap. The Second Iowa Infantry had been sent back to the north end of the gap to guard the wagon train left there. No change was made in the above disposition until, about 4 p. m., I received orders from Brigadier-General Sweeny, commanding division, to march my command back to Snake Creek Gap, where I arrived about midnight.

At 10 p. m. May 10, under orders from division headquarters, I moved the brigade to the extreme right of a line formed across the mouth of Snake Creek Gap, and continued the line of intrenchments already begun there, and on which my left rested, to a point beyond my extreme right. My command was disposed as follows: The Sixty-sixth Indiana Volunteers on the right of Captain Arndt's (Michigan) battery, the Second Iowa on its right, the Seventh Iowa on the extreme right, and the Fifty-second Illinois doubled on the center in support. On the morning of the 12th, under orders, I moved again to the attack of the enemy at Resaca. Arriving in the vicinity of the enemy's position I formed the brigade under the direction of the general commanding division, on the extreme right of the line, the Sixty-sixth Indiana on the left, Welker's (Missouri) battery in center, and the Fifty-second Illinois was changed to one farther to the front. On reconnoitering the position I found I was only the length of the front of my brigade from the Oostenaula, an impassable river. Asked and obtained permission to change my line to the left and perpendicular to last position, thus resting the extreme right of my line on the river. About 4 o'clock I, under orders, moved my brigade about half a mile along the road toward Resaca, and, under information from the general commanding that the enemy had crossed the river and was following in my rear, immediately changed front in that direction. The information proving false, I bivouacked for the night. About 10 o'clock the morning of the 14th I moved on the Calhoun road to Oostenaula River, at Lay's Ferry, and disposed my command so as to attract the attention of the enemy while Colonel Burke, commanding Second Brigade, attempted a crossing of the river at the mouth of Snake Creek; the Second Iowa was sent to carry the pontoons to the river, the Sixty-sixth Indiana thrown as skirmishers near the river bank, east of the road running directly south to Lay's Ferry; Captain Welker's (Missouri) battery was placed in the best position possible, and opened fire on the enemy's rifled battery, well posted on the south side of the river; the other two regiments of the command were placed to the rear, deployed under cover of undulating ground. The Sixty-sixth Indiana was sent to the front far enough to dislodge some rebel sharpshooters that annoyed our battery. Private Asahel M. Pyburn, discovering their battle-flag floating in front of their rifle-pits, swam the river and captured it, under cover of the fire of his comrades. Receiving an order to take two regiments to the relief of Colonel


Page 420 THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. Chapter L.